Places I Photographed

Here is a short list of places that I have photographed. I will update these blog posts as I write more and cull through more photos. Treat these posts as drafts and sketches for further ideas to come.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia is the birthplace of America. I was born and raised in Philadelphia. My hometown provides me with a perfect place to practice street photography. Philly has bustling streets filled with diverse people. There are many different neighborhoods, parks, and rivers to explore. From Center Center to Old City, you will find rich history and beautiful architecture. My favorite location in the city is Penn’s Landing. There is a beautiful view of the Delaware River and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, providing the perfect backdrop for street photography all year. In the summertime, there is a carnival at Penn’s Landing. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a must visit. Run up the famous “Rocky Steps” and catch lots of tourists to photograph there. The area along the Schuylkill River behind the museum is also a great place for street photography. City Hall is always filled with action from winter to summer. My favorite time to photograph City Hall is during the winter when there is an ice rink and Christmas Village. City Hall’s tunnels are perfect for street photography as people are constantly walking through them, while filled with good light. Locations such as Market Street and Broad Street are great because of their wide sidewalks filled with people. While Market Street has the highest traffic of people with many bus stops and the Fashion District Mall, Broad Street has incredible architecture and clean backgrounds to work with. When you are feeling hungry, head to the Reading Terminal Market for endless food options and chaos to photograph. From Rittenhouse Square to Washington Square Park and everything in between, Philadelphia is a gritty, historic, and authentic city that is a must visit for any street photographer.

Baltimore

I attended university in Baltimore. Baltimore is a much more hardcore location to practice street photography. While you can stick to the inner harbor area where most tourists visit, I believe the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood in West Baltimore is the heart of the city. Not many outsiders venture into this part of town with a camera, so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings. If you have no fear and are prepared to photograph a neighborhood that will challenge you like no other, walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in West Baltimore. My personal recommendation is to just stick with the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, and Federal Hill. If you want some food, walk towards Lexington Market and stop by the Walters Art Museum along the way.

New York

I personally treat New York as a Camera store. The only time I visit New York City is to go to B&H for new gear, so I am not very keen on NYC. I suppose it’s one of those locations that every street photographer dreams of visiting, but I personally have no desire. The only places I have spent time photographing are the tourist spots, such as Times Square and Washington Square. It seems like any street in NYC is good for street photography, but as a Philadelphian, I prefer to stay true to my roots and photograph my hometown on the East Coast. My biased suggestion is to just visit the famous camera stores and stay in NYC for two days, then take the train over to Philly, DC, or Baltimore for a more authentic East Coast street photography experience. If you want street photography on easy mode, stick to NYC.

Israel

I studied abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for six months. I also volunteered on an Israeli Kibbutz and lived with a Palestinian family for three months upon graduation. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are the main locations most people will visit, but I spent all of my time exploring the West Bank. I’ve visited many of the main Palestinian Cities in the West Bank from Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Qalandia, Jericho, the border of Gaza, and many more. Out of all of these locations, Jericho remains supreme for Street Photography. Jericho is the lowest elevated city in the world. There is a beautiful landscape within the desert filled with rich, biblical history. The Dead Sea is a popular tourist location just nearby Jericho city, so I believe this is the safest Palestinian location to explore. Explore the refugee camps, markets, climb the mountains, and take a swim in the Dead Sea. If you would like to visit Jericho, just take a bus from outside of Damascus gate in the old city of Jerusalem. I personally recommend sticking with Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv and Jericho as your main locations to practice street photography in Israel. Don’t forget to eat some falafel and shawarma!

Italy

Italy remains close to my heart as I have family there. Rome, Florence, and Napoli are my favorite cities for street photography. You could spend an entire month in Rome and find endless opportunities for street photography, but I prefer Napoli for the gritty and authentic feeling the city provides. Bologna is a city that has incredible architecture if you’re more into urban landscapes. Lucca is a small town and gem if you’re bringing a loved one and want a charming experience. Sorrento and Positano are two of the most breathtaking locations if you’re looking for that wow factor and pure beauty that Italy provides. Overall, you can’t go wrong with Italy as a first trip abroad. From the architecture, history, and food, you will find endless pleasure bringing your camera along. If you never visited a foreign country before, I suggest Italy as the best first stop.

Zambia

I spent one year in Zambia Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. I worked with the department of fisheries on rural aquaculture programs in Luapula Province. I spent my first three months learning the local language, Bemba as well as farming skills. When I arrived to my mud hut in the village, my host father presented me with a goat to slaughter. We would pray, dance, and work together on various projects throughout the village. In terms of photographing in Zambia the people were extremely pleasant and hospitable towards me and my camera. I had the opportunity to photograph in situations that I could only dream about. Each morning when I woke up, I would see women carrying babies on their backs and firewood on their head, men building homes and churches, young boys are preparing bricks, and girls sweeping the floor and cooking breakfast. Everybody has a role to play in the village. I photographed the everyday life in the village, baptisms, and even funerals. The closest I’ve ever felt to being alive was during my time living in Zambia, Africa. I can’t recommend traveling to Africa enough as it’s completely changed my paradigm and outlook on life.

Mumbai

My favorite location that I’ve ever traveled to practice Street photography is Mumbai, India. Mumbai is the most populated city in India and provides endless opportunities to explore with your camera. I spent one month living along Juhu Beach. Each day I had the greatest time of my life with a camera. Versova Village was my favorite location to photograph in Mumbai. I explored this fishing village because it felt very different from the hustle and bustle in the big city. Mumbai offers so much diversity from the urban life and tall skyscrapers to the rural villages, slums, and ancient temples. I’ve never come home with so many good pictures in such a short amount of time throughout my travels and can’t recommend visiting Mumbai enough.

Mexico City

I spent two weeks in Mexico City in 2022. Mexico City is a gritty and authentic place to practice street photography. In Mexico City you have endless terrain to explore from the mountains to the markets. There are many different neighborhoods to explore from La Roma which is filled with beautiful cafés, architecture, and restaurants to Tepito which is a much more gritty and interesting territory to explore. Plaza Garibaldi is a great place to photograph in the evenings and the historic center is the perfect place to begin your day. I suggest taking the cable car up into the mountains as you will experience a much different part of Mexico City there. This was my favorite experience during the trip, but just be aware of your surroundings as the locals described the mountains and the neighborhood Tepito as dangerous. Of course, these two locations were my favorite to photograph.

Hanoi

I spent one month living in Hanoi, Vietnam along Hoan Kiem Lake. The culture and food was my favorite out of all of the places that I’ve visited. While you can find peace and tranquility around the lake, there is endless chaos on the streets and nearby markets. The best mode of transportation is to use the grab taxi app and travel via motorcycle. I often times road on the back of motorcycles to get to and from the various locations that I explored. Although Hanoi is a very walkable city and you most likely will not need to take any taxis, I preferred to get around this way as the streets are filled with motorcycles and the chaos can be hard to manage. My favorite place to photograph was Dong Xuan Market which is just a walk away from Hoan Kiem Lake. Make sure to wake up early and photograph around the lake on the weekends as the streets close down and open for pedestrians only. I have never seen so many happy families and wholesome nightlife with cultural performances and stages set up around the lake every weekend. The people are very kind and open to being photographed and the food is just out of this world. Hanoi remains close to my heart and I can personally see myself revisiting in the future as it was a very peaceful and life-changing experience.

Miami

My brother lives and works in Miami, so I visit here sometimes. I personally found Hollywood Beach to be the best location, but here on South Beach I had some fun at the outdoor gym. This scene is right up my alley!